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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. snap — to click
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. spell — magic
  5. swing — in golf
  6. rock — music
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. swing — to play on
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. swing — music
  15. craft — a skill
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. spell — a short time
  18. rock — a stone
  19. craft — boats
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. spell — letters
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. craft — a handicraft

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com